Commas and Coordinating Conjunctions (FANBOYS)
By Keira, Textbroker Editor
You've seen the commentary, but what does that mean? Coordinating conjunctions are all of the following:
For
And
Nor
But
Or
Yet
So
You can remember them by being FANBOYS of good grammar. If you're having trouble with comma usage each time one of these pops up, here's a trick that can make it easier. You only need a comma when each part can stand on its own. So whenever you see one of the FANBOYS, split the sentence around it.
I went to the store |and| bought eggs.
"I went to the store" is a complete sentence, but "bought eggs" is not. This sentence is fine the way it is.
I went to the store |and| I bought eggs.
"I went to the store" is a complete sentence. "I bought eggs" is also a complete sentence. The sentence should read: I went to the store, and I bought eggs.
You can do this with any of the FANBOYS.
I went to the store, |but| the chickens were on strike, |so| there were no eggs.
I went to the store |but| found no eggs.
They say women are from Venus, |yet| Mars already has Martians, |so| why do they need men too?
If you can split a sentence, you can join the full-fledged FANBOYS.
Note: one small editorial change was made on 5/3. We added an "s" to "pop" for "pops."
posted on 04/30/2010 - 07.07 | grammar and style | comments: 42
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This definitely adds a level of perspective I have not realized before, it makes a lot of sense and is easy to implement, thank you.added by: author paulkohler on 04/30/2010 - 11.46
I, too, enjoyed this lesson and would look forward to the lesson on semi colons also.added by: author A-025682 on 05/01/2010 - 12.09
I will really have to give this a good look while doing my next article.
Generally, I feel as if I overuse commas, |so| I often go back through something I've written and start taking out the commas I don't feel are absolutely necessary.added by: author JML on 05/01/2010 - 12.20
This helped a lot. I understood already pertaining to the part of the sentence standing alone comma usage. The part that has kept me confused is, using a comma, then and following in the rest of the sentence. I believe this has been cleared up now.
Thank youadded by: author A-039655 on 05/01/2010 - 02.32
Thanks a lot. I had done some of my own research on the internet pertaining to comma usage but this is a lot more concise. I know comma usage is one of my difficulties that needs worked on.added by: author A-039108 on 05/01/2010 - 08.05
This is good, and I love the acronym to help me remember it. Thank you very much.added by: author lepal on 05/01/2010 - 10.46
Thank you for the reference. I will keep this in mind during my next assignment.added by: author A-036933 on 05/01/2010 - 11.39
Thank you very much. This is very helpful, and I will try to remember this important tip.added by: author babygirl on 05/01/2010 - 12.20
I've been getting "wrote-up" recently on my comma usage. This will help me out tremendously. Thank you so much!added by: author Pierce on 05/01/2010 - 11.59
I agree this was very informative and helpful. However, I was distracted by your grammatical error ... "If you're having trouble with comma usage each time one of these pop up, here's". It should read "each time one of these POPS up."added by: author A-020707 on 05/02/2010 - 07.52
Very helpful. More information commas would help me. Rules on the use of quotation marks is another area that sometimes confuses me.added by: author StJohn on 05/03/2010 - 01.37
Well I must say that this Comma information has turned the corner for me. I accepted 5 articles in the past two days. They were rather short, 250 words, but that is what I wanted. I took the first one and wrote the article. Then I went back and actually dissected what I had written. I went through it with a fine tooth comb. All the while I had a copy of Keira's instructions on the desk in front of me. I changed the wording to fit some of the fanboys so they fit the sentence I had written. It took me a while but I was not in a rush. I had taken articles that had a 3 day due date. By the end of the 5th article, I was proud to say, that the article was perfect in every comma way.
I have to give Keira a hug, and I would If she lived nearer to me. But, an Internet hug will do, and, it must, since she is such a great grammar teacher.
I am not sure the above sentence is written in correct grammar, but I am sure someone will tell me if it is not.;) I am still learningadded by: author SondraC on 05/03/2010 - 08.31
Thank you for this excellent rule of thumb for comma usage.
To SondraC, it is best not to start a sentence with a conjuction such as "but" or "and". Try words such as "however", "in addition", or "by contrast". Otherwise, nice post. I can empathize.added by: author WiseWords on 05/03/2010 - 09.19
You are totally awesome. The article helped me so much. Thankyou Lady.added by: author goldminer1 on 05/03/2010 - 11.11
This is the first time I have had time to read this post.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!!!
I was beginning to think that all the comma comments I had been receiving were the result of some editor just "picking on me." I know it wasn't true, it just felt that way.
I finally attained a "4" rating, but after a few articles, I was given two "3's." All were about comma usage.
This article is definately going to stay handy during my next articles.
Now- as so many before me have mentioned, how about one on semicolons?added by: author TGallagher on 05/06/2010 - 01.32
By the way, is there any way to print these articles to perhaps make a "grammer folder" or "writing tips" for ourselves?
Now, that WOULD be handy!!!added by: author TGallagher on 05/06/2010 - 01.33
Hi TGallagher!
You can print right from Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox or any other browser. I use IE and Mozilla. For IE, if you look to the upper right, you will see a mini printer icon and you click on it and this page will print. For Mozilla, in the upper left, click on file and then print preview or print and this page will page. You can also copy and paste into Word and save it as a document and print the entire blog out by copying and pasting each blog into Word. :-)
Thanks, Keira, for the great tips! These are easy tips to remember. For a while now, I have been trying to just write shorter sentences to avoid having to add any commas. That does not seem to work for me. I tend to write run-on sentences a lot, but I am working on that, too. :-) How did I do here with commas? Commas. ugh :-)
I saw the latest e-mail from textbroker. The e-mails are always a great boost for me. I like the evaluations, too, as I can learn to write better from them. Some mistakes are clearly foolish ones, where I did not take the time to look an article over again or got distracted. I am learning to take my time and go over each article better before sending it into the client. I want their articles to be exactly what they want and need.
Thank you for all the time you put into showing us authors how important we are and for your patience while we learn how to write better. :-)
I saw the section about 5-star ratings, too. I have dreamed about being one, but I believe it might be too overwhelming for me. I still get some revision requests, here and there, so I know that I am a ways away from being a 5-star. I am working hard to get there though. (comma before though?) Wow, I get confused easy. (Just kidding, I'm good to go, really.)lol
Grammar does involve a lot of rules, and the brain gets full. ha ha
Have a great night and weekend, everyone!
Thanks for adding this blog! It is great!
Thanks,
Mary-Anneadded by: author Maryanne on 05/07/2010 - 09.37
Thanks for this. Commas seem to be one of my weakest points in proper grammar use.added by: author DennisH on 05/08/2010 - 06.10
While I generally agree with you, Keira, I do take exception to using a comma in the sentence "I went to the store, and I bought eggs." When two independent clauses are very short and equally balanced, the comma really is not necessary. This is a very fine distinction, I know, but as an English teacher and grammarian, I wanted to note this exception. Of course the comma isn't "wrong" but it makes for choppy reading.
However, the incorrect use of a comma with a compound predicate (e.g., I went to the store, and bought eggs) is the most common mistake I see in editing and in student papers. I think it is WONDERFUL for you to clarify that. ;)
A-22035added by: author A-022035 on 05/08/2010 - 09.16
First, I would like to say that, as a writer that sometimes has trouble with commas, this article is very helpful.
However, the part that says, "You only need a comma when each part can stand on its own" does not always hold up and can be misleading. I was told that there should be no comma in the following sentence:
This means that a good x-ray technician will always know when the machine is active, and x-rays are being emitted from the tube.
Can someone please explain this in grammatical terms so I don't make the same mistake? Thank you.added by: author BJones23 on 05/15/2010 - 01.04
This article really helped me figure out commas for those certain words, but I am having a lot of problems figuring out where I need commas in other places. In my writing I normally add commas where it feels like there is a pause, so I got marked down for too many commas. Then I tried to put commas only where I was sure it was grammatically necessary, and I got marked down for not enough commas. Can you write a blog post about other situations where you should and shouldn't use commas? I had been taught that other than where they are grammatically required, commas are a stylistic choice. This is obviously not true for getting good ratings on textbroker, so I would love to hear how to determine where I should or shouldn't put commas.added by: author Rayah on 05/27/2010 - 06.02
@BJones23 - I don't really know that much about grammar, but it looks like you're using a comma in a sentence that technically has two independent clauses: This means that a good x-ray technician will always know when the machine is active." AND "X-Rays are being emitted from the tube."
However, it looks like you're working with compound objects. Again, I'm not a grammar maven, but Purdue's OWL site shows this example:
Jeff told me that the job was still available, and that the manager wanted to interview me.
It also gives this example for incorrect use of a comma between two verb phrases:
I turned the corner, and ran smack into a patrol car.
The point is that the comma puts an unnecessary pause within the sentence.
Anyway, I hope that helps.
-Nealadded by: author Neal on 08/18/2010 - 02.14
Thanks!
I am continuously frustrated by the comma monster. I use commas sparingly but as needed.
A couple tips here that I can use, but I've seen many that I did correctly within writing rules, but still got marked off for.
Commas are not that **hard** but it seems that difference of opinion is making many, like myself, frustrated.
added by: author A-021313 on 10/01/2010 - 12.36
I'm so glad that I started keeping up with this blog again. Commas are my Achilles' heel. Thanks for posting this; it's very helpful.added by: author S. Patrick on 10/17/2010 - 08.58
HELP!! How to Know Difference Between "That" and "Which".
Would someone PLEASE explain the distinction in detail. I had always asumed that they were inerchangable, but that is apparently not the case.
Provide an example, please. Thanks!added by: author Crissie on 01/27/2011 - 06.27
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